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Wednesday, 22 May 2013

Kate Brightens Up The Queen's Garden Party In Yellow Emilia Wickstead Coat

The Duchess of Cambridge made an unexpected appearance at The Queen's First Garden Party of the year at Buckingham Palace this afternoon. Kate who is around seven months pregnant attended the event along with Prince Charles, the Duchess of Cornwall, the Duke of Edinburgh and the Gloucesters.

PA

The royals joined around 8,000 guests including diplomats, Olympians, Paralympians, and officials from London 2012. As an ambassador for the games it seems fitting Kate chose to attend today's garden party. After the playing of the national anthem at 4 p.m. the royals separated and mingled with the crowd to ensure as many guests as possible had the opportunity to meet a member of the Royal Family.

Clarence House Twitter Feed/Press Association

Her Majesty hosts at least three garden parties every year at Buckingham Palace, as well as one at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh. The parties are considered one of the royal highlights of the year since the 1860s when Queen Victoria instituted what were known as 'breakfasts' (although they took place in the afternoon).

PA

Quantities of tea and refreshments served are enormous, according to the official website:

'Tea and other refreshments are served from long buffet tables. At a typical garden party, around 27,000 cups of tea, 20,000 sandwiches and 20,000 slices of cake are consumed. Some 400 waiting staff are involved in the serving.'

A closer look at some of the tasty treats served at the royal tea.

Jo Tomlin Twitter Feed

Guests had the opportunity to explore the beautiful gardens, a wealth of wildlife and the summer house. Unlike the state rooms the gardens are not open to the public, so it is a real treat for guests.

Wikipedia

Paralympian Mark Colbourne shared a photo of his invitation via his twitter feed. I just love seeing these!

'Also attending the Garden Party at Buckingham Palace were the world's longest married couple. Karam Chand, 107, and his wife Katari, 100, have been happily married for a staggering 87 years.

The couple have eight children and twenty eight grandchildren. Mr Chand says the secret lies in their sense of humour "My trick is to make Katari laugh. I like to tell jokes and make her smile. Being funny is my way of being romantic.'

'She instantly recognised my uniform and the daffodil in my lapel and told me that she had great admiration for the work the charity does as our staff cared for her own grandfather in his home when he was terminally ill'.

The Duchess also revealed the effect the weather was having on her pregnancy:

'She said that the one benefit of the weather was that it was keeping her temperature down. She said she was thankfully rather cool'.

It is the second time the Duchess has attended one of the Queen's garden parties. She wore a pink Emilia Wickstead coat dress to her first bash in May 2012.

Press Association

The Duchess chose a Ms. Wickstead piece again today, electing to wear a pretty yellow and white Marella Silk Coat - perfect for a garden party and the season. The abstract check coat is collarless with an open front and three quarter length sleeves. It is available for €1,522 at Matches. Kate's coat features a horizontal seam which would allow the coat to be taking in after Kate's pregnancy.

Matches

From the product description:

'Taking inspiration from 1950's society swan Marella Agnelli, Emilia Wickstead's silk coat is elegant and classic with a hint of playfulness. This perfectly polished, precisely cut piece wouldn't look out of place strolling down Park Avenue.'

The popular pattern features in other pieces in Ms. Wickstead's collections most notably the full length Bouvier Dress and the Margerita Skirt.

Matches

Kate recycled the white Jane Corbett hat she wore to last year's Order of the Garter parade.

The Duchess wore her Russell and Bromley Park Avenue Shoes and matching clutch. The £165 court shoes are very similar to Kate's Sledge pumps but eagle-eyed Ashley Marie noticed them very quickly.

It was lovely to see Kate joining members of the royal family for the Queen's garden party. I thought her outfit was elegant, summery and a perfect choice for Kate at this point in her pregnancy. Did you like it?

Does anyone else think it's strange that it looks like there is no dress worn under a lot of her coats? Maybe it because I'm from the States, but I find it odd to wear coats instead of dresses all the time. I like the pink Wickstead from last year better than this one - it seem quite matronly to me.

I think she looks very pretty but I have to agree about the coat. If she has a dress on under it then it's a micro mini because the coat is very short. I don't know anyone that would wear just a coat. Maybe it really isn't a coat but a shift with buttons. I can't wait till the baby is here. I hope it looks just like her.

Brilliant post, dear Charlotte ! So interesting... Thank you.Love the Duchess' look today : love the color of the coat, the hat, and everything. It's great to see her so happy. To my mind still too short, of course, but there you are ;) At least there wasn't any wind today ;)I find the Duchess of Cornwall is looking better and better. She was quite lovely at the Dutch coronation too : that was an event, wasn't it ? Gosh, those dresses and jewels !!!All best from a depressing Paris where we have forgotten what the word "spring" means.

Agreed, color is great (especially given the weather lately) but way too short (as usual), would have looked fantastic with a skirt and blouse or dress underneath. Hat and shoes don't seem to coordinate with the outfit.

Agree with you Teresa! From the coat (there si always something about those Wickstead designs whis is not convencing me..)but nice lemon&butter combo for Kate, to Camilla - she really looks regal lately. And the Dutch abdication/coronation what an event! I loved all of Maxima´s outfits that day and her hair.

She is really looking great and healthy. I like the color amazing how many colours fit her. I can't say this about her hat, it doesn't go with this coat at all somehow it looks to big. And it would be so good to see a different kind of shoes at last. I liked the clothes that the designers drew in your previous post they must be disappointed though as she is not keen on maternity wear.Anett

I think Kate looks lovely! Yellow is such a pretty spring color and it brightens her smile! I am not a big fan of the fascinator...or maybe it being teamed with this dress. Her hair looks gorgeous as usual! Heels at 7 months pregnant is really quite amazing to me. I would have toppled over wearing those when I was pregnant! I thought Camilla looked lovely too. Looks like a Philip Treacy frock on her head. :)

I thought the picture of Charles looking at Kate was so sweet! I know he's looking forward to being a grandfather and you can tell how fond he is of Kate. Alot of healing over the past few years after all the sadness and scandal has done him well. Also read that his numbers are up in the polls! :)

Thanks for including a picture of the invitation and royal treats! Such fun to get a glimpse of the full experience! Congrats to the couple who have been married so long. Absolutely FABULOUS! Kate looks happy and healthy! SO glad to see her looking so beautiful and enjoying her day!!!

Lovely--the colour is so sunny and I like the hat with this particular outfit.I think it is a very nice length, particularly for a young lady whose legs, at this stage in her pregnancy, would be the envy of most people.I have liked the fact that on the whole during the pregnancy, she has stuck too her more tailored style and not taken to a tent.I am also delighted by the Prince of Wales, who looks so proud of the ladies of his family.Incidentally how does anyone know whether she had a dress under the coat which she didn't take off?

Lovely coat and the bright sunny colour no doubt brightened what seems to have been a bit of a gray day weather-wise. I liked the hat with the coat but can't help feel the whole look would have been more elegant with a low chignon but I quibble. Although this coat is not longer than many others I thought were a bit short, the length doesn't bother me here, perhaps because of the A line cut.

And both the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cambridge looked wonderful as well. I wonder if the Queen was at the Chelsea Flower Show or if she just didn't feel up to it today.

The coat is open on the model, but firmly closed on the DoC, almost like it was stitched into place. If there is a dress underneath, it's very short as it cannot be seen in the first or second photos.This is a pretty outfit.

Yay! Kate looks absolutely beautiful. It is amazing to me that, even in that hat--which I don't love--she still looks fantastic! Great color!Thanks for the super-quick post. When I saw your tweet this morning about Kate's appearance I knew we would be in for a treat from you!Shantel Minnesota, USA

Thanks for the wonderful update, Charlotte! I love these unexpected appearances!

I have to say that I'm a little disappointed with the Duchess' sartorial choices today. The outfit looks somewhat thrown together. I really wish she would invest in a few maternity pieces! The coat looks much better (in the advertisement) as a coat, rather than a coat dress - wearing it as a dress makes it more tent or poncho-like. If she would have paired it with the matching or a complementary skirt, and a maternity blouse maybe... I also think it's (once again) a bit too short, and I don't think the hat or shoes are complementary. I think the yellow color was just about the only thing that I liked about this ensemble.

I feel bad because I really am a fan of the Duchess and she always looks lovely no matter what she wears, I just thought the outfit today looked like a last minute throw together, which I guess it could have been!

Looking closely at Catherine's coat dress, I don't think it is the same as the one on the model--though it's the same material. Catherine's has a seam at a sort of dropped waistline, before the skirt swings out more.Seems to me it has been adapted to a maternity style.What do you think Charlotte?

You are correct Jean. It is the Marella coat but it has been adapted. Kate's features a horizontal seam which the standard Marella does not. After her pregnancy this would allow the coat to be taken in and worn again after the baby is born.

It shows frugality on Kate's born, I actually thought it unlikely she would wear such an expensive maternity wear piece if it couldn't be altered after the pregnancy.

Another wonderful, quick-as-a-wink post! I so appreciate all the excellent information you include, Charlotte. Thank you!

I thought the Duchess added a lovely splash of color in her sunshine colored coat. :o) I can only imagine how thrilled people are to be invited to the Queen's garden party, much less to get to meet and talk with a member of the royal family.

Thank you for such a great post, dear Charlotte!I've just heard about the horrendous attack in London. What affects one affects us all!May this poor soldier rest in peace! Sending my thoughts and prayers to his family and the whole United Kingdom.

Looking at the shape of the "bump" makes me surmise that it WILL be a BOY!! In our culture, if the shape is a bit pointy then it is a boy. If the shape is round and not pointy then it's a girl. Whatever it is, wish her the best!!!

Alright. I have to say it. I love Emilia Wickstead. Her designs are classic and clean.

BUT her tailoring is awful.

Matches shows several of her styles on models and even there they bunch and look poorly constructed. The Duchess's blue dress from the NPG was amazing but the puckering in the back was such a let down. And again today I find the hem halfway down the coat incredibly distracting. It's not an appropriate waste on someone in their third trimester and it doesn't appear in the stock photos so you know it was altered specifically for her pregnancy.

I love these designs and of course Kate looks spectacular everytime, but I really hope the seamstresses working on these dresses step it a bit next go round. I just can't seem to stop staring at those flaws!

I'm a fan of Emilia Wickstead's designs for sure but there are many misses (Order of the thistle service being one) and the tailoring is something that comes up constantly. If you look in the post at the 'Margerite' skirt the tailoring is very unflattering to the model who is obviously very slim.

Hello Sarah TN -I totally in agreement with you & other posters on the tailoring issues we've seen over the last several months. Too many seams, fabrics not being steamed after moving buttons or darts; fabrics that are too stiff or too flimsy for a particular design. I am a bit surprised that we keep seeing these unflattering items - I ask myself, does not Carole also see these same things? I 'm not sure what to think! Kate looks happy & healthy & that what's important. She has great style sense; the seamstresses need to step up their game, finish the job with finesse.

Exactly Charlotte ..I always had this issue with Wiskteads´s designs and reading this article and seeing photos of Bouvier dress and Margerite skirt I was telling myself Ha!even on the promo photos on a model it doesn´t fit properly and it´s unflattering.. honestly I wouldn´t pay for this such high prices.

I was there today with my mum .. We met Kate The Queen Charles and Camilla .. My mum is disabled in a wheelchair and was made so welcome .. Charles was utterly charming .. Kate looked stunning she is a natural beauty .. A real honour and a day to remember and cherish .. Helen Worcester England

We absolutely love hearing first hand accounts from people who had the opportunity to meet the royals. I hope you and your mom had a wonderful day. No doubt a very special event for you both to remember :)

I agree with Meghan. The coat would look elegant as part of an ensemble that we could see, but instead she looks like she is covered up in a housecoat that is too short. And she needs to lose the black eyeliner!

I loved her coat and general look, it looks so fresh and quite comfortable for her stage of pregnancy where you don't want anything tight around your lower waist area, though her hips must be in agony after wearing such high heels. But I'm totally with you on the overloaded eye liner! Boy, she needs to go easy on that stuff! A little on top and at the outer corner would be perfect, or maybe a brown tone to soften it up a little... Anything but heavy black and not around the entire rim. It's all I can focus on in her photos now.

I also almost immediatly noticed the shoes.These are the pair she wore last year in Singapore with Jenny Peckham orchid dress with the same clutch.I remember it because I really loved that whole outfit :)These are more off white then her nude sledges,although they are very similar.

Awwwwww look at the joy in Prince Charles face. He clearly loves his daughter in-law.Kate looks lovely. The Queen looked lovely. Okay everyone looks great :)I actually like the hat. There has only been one hat that she wore that I was thinking. "Ha ha ha "Funny thing a matter of taste. Speaking of taste the chocolate cake looks so delicious.Well if she can wear those heels at this point. More power to her. Hope William will give her a good foot rub and back rub tonight. :)

Sarah, I have to agree about the heels. I can't believe she can walk so gracefully in them. I would have been flat on my face! My balance and equilibrium was so off when I was pg, I could have never worn them! I think a good foot rub is in order!!!

Kate I wore high heels for years and years but now my body (back and feet) can't handle them. I so miss them :( trying to think back to what shoes I was wearing at the end of my pregnancies ...probably sandels to help with swelling.

I like Kate's coat (could be slightly longer) and the color yellow is very cheerful and quite striking. She certainly stands out in the crowd. Her hair is gorgeous from the back. Camilla receives four stars from me. She looks fabulous in that coat and hat. She often looks a bit frumpy, but not today!

Wow I loved Catherine's dress today. But again we have many here that think it was to short. She is not an old lady. People here always fine something to complain about. Now it is her eyeliner. Give her a break. Her make up is no different from before.

Some one said the dress looked like a tent. OMG Catherine is 8 months pregnant. Some people never have anything nice to say.

Hello Charlotte- Thanks for another great post. Our beautiful duchess looked just stunning today. I loved the dress and happy to see her looking so good. She was just glowing and Baby Cambridge is really growing.

Charlotte since you are doing engagements of Williams can you give us some information on the one he had today. There is a picture on fb with a young man. It did not say where it was taken just that is was an engagement today. I bet it was to do with one of his charities.

Staying in town but my neice will be here with her 2 children and hopefully her hubby (at my parents )can get off work. I am a great -aunt . Do love the sound of that. Enjoy Memorial Day. So many soldiers to honor on our special day. Hamburgers and hot dogs for dinner.

Hello, my friends!Such a nice surprise this afternoon! Catherine looks lovely and in some pictures, you can barely say she is pregnant!I really liked the entire outfit today!I noticed something looking at the pictures... Did you realise her makeup was a lot lighter than usual? The blush was very soft and so was the eye shadow. The eyeliner at the lower lash line, not contouring every single corner of her eye.Did you notice the same?Charlotte, thank you, once again!Hugs :)

PS: Sending my honest and true feelings to the family of that poor guy who was killed today. One of the most shocking things I've ever seen. What's going on with people these days?

Yes, Ana B. I also noticed about the makeup. She used a very soft blush and made a very light smoky outlined in the upper eyelid, as well as close to the eyelashes outlined below only halfway, not taking the outlined to the corner tear. The shadow she used was a light brown and discreet. This makeup she favored enough, let her younger because I noticed that on account of pregnancy, her eyelids were slightly swollen and it already gives an impression that the eye is small, so when she wore dark gray shadow, the eye seemed even smaller, was weird and left her with an older appearance.

Love the color of duchess cambridges and loving the duchess of cornwall dressing as well plus the queen pink suit her much as well its lovely too see prince charles enjoy company with his daughter in law meanwhile prince william is visiting centerpoint this morning love too see pictures of them together

I think she looked fabulous for someone so far along in a pregnancy. As for the hemline, I think it's fine. She's not an old woman! Her hemline is very age-appropriate. If she came out wearing daisy dukes or mini skirts then I would see the problem.

Charlotte, do you think as we get closer to baby, we'll do another boy/girl, guess the name, guess the weight, guess birthday post for little Baby Cambridge? I go back and forth thinking boy or girl. I was thinking a little tiny baby, but Kate has grown considerably and is carrying all in front, that Baby C might be a little cute chunk. She still has around 7 weeks to go!!! It's just so much fun!!!

Love that shade of yellow on Kate but don't like the coat. It is a fantastic outfit when worn as orignially designed, open with a slim skirt underneath it, very sophisticated and elegant. But on Kate all these-not-intented-to-be-short coats look little girlish and frankly silly. It's not a question of her age but one of appearance. She looks bulky in it and it does nothing for her legs. Wonder if Kate will save it for another pregnancy. That short coat look is going to date very quickly. Think she wears high heels so often for so long that she barely notices them.

Camilla looks fantastic in that silvery outfit but she does look old! Charles and the queen both look great. The queen has a wonderful timelessness about her.

Hello Ladies, love all your comments. I agree that the coat/or dress Kate wore is a lovely colour but it needs to be longer and perhaps in a softer material so that drapes softly over her shape? The coat material seems to stands out from her body and she has to press it down with her purse. Must give Camilla praise for her outfit, she is really dressing well these days.

I do love Kate in this outfit! The sunny colour, the hat, the shoes, everything is great. I saw the video, she is so nice and natural talking to people.And the trio - Charles, Camilla, Kate - they all seem to get along so well. It's nice to see some peace in the family, after so many years of sorrow and scandals.

Very sad what happened to that man. Sending my thoughts and prayers to the family.

Thank you so much for those lovely words. London is strong, just as Boston was strong. I just cannot believe people can willingly commit those horrific murders. The soldier who was murdered was wearing a Help For Heroes t shirt (William and Harry visited the charity to open a center earlier this). It's just so awful, it really is.

Yes when I read he had a Help for Heros t shirt on and was a soldier it broke my heart. Obviously targeting a soldier was the goal. I saw the opening of the center and it was precious. I can imagine what William and Harry are feeling about this whole thing............again love and hugs to you all.

When I heard about this senseless act, I was so, so sad. What in the world drives people to be so evil? My thoughts and prayers are with his poor family. The fact he was wearing a Help for Heroes shirt makes my heart hurt and had to touch William and Harry. There just really are no words.........

Loved the sunny color and like the hat as much as ever. All the Royal ladies looked lovely. The Queen is always perfect. Camilla has a style that really suits her. Catherine is a work in progress, a young happy woman with conservative taste. Maybe all she needs is a better wardrobe assistant so she can always look as smart and well dressed as the Queen.

As we know, the Duchess does not use a hired stylist to select her clothing, but I am reasonably sure Catherine does not do her own mending, cleaning and pressing. No doubt she appreciates your spirited defense of her very much. I'll repeat what I said: All the Royal ladies looked lovely on the day.

Given the terror attack and murder of Drummer Rigby in London as well as the immensity of the Moore, Okla., tornado and the tragedy there, it seems the ultimate in superficiality and shallowness to be talking about a garden party and clothing. My thoughts and prayers are with the family of the young soldier who was so senselessly killed in broad daylight in London and also with those who have been affected by the tornado in Oklahoma in the U.S. Not a fan of this look. The coat, as usual, is too short, even for Kate's age. Nobody wants her to look like a "granny," but a nearly thigh-high skirt when you're seven months' pregnant isn't flattering or appropriate or classy on anyone and especially not with her social status now and public role. I continue not to understand, with the access she has to the best couturiers and tailors in the world, why the tailoring of these garments is so awkward. The hat is flat-out ridiculous, too big, too tall, and hides Kate's pretty face. The heavy makeup has always made her look MUCH older than she is and the hair is just dated and heavy, although I do like it up like she's got it rather than just hanging in a clump around her face. Too harsh? Maybe. But let's keep in mind this isn't some working-class shopgirl. She's got access to the best of everything, from makeup to makeup artists to hair stylists, to clothing, tailors, milliners, etc. And she's had years to get it right. Ironically, she looked better, more chic, classy and put together, BEFORE the engagement was announced. She shouldn't be making the kind of hit and miss mistakes with her look that she seems to be making nearly continually nowadays. And someone mentioned, very accurately, where is Carole Middleton? From all the flurry of recent Palace spin to the UK media to paint Mrs. Middleton in a glowing light, my impression is that she's Kate's chief advisor and almost constantly in touch with her. Carole is always well-dressed, understated and classy.

Elizabeth, I was prepared to respect your first statement regarding the tragic murder in London and the tornado in Oklahoma, but it's ironic and unfortunate that it didn't stop you from dedicating the majority of your post to some rather harsh and unkind criticism of Kate.

For anyone who doesn't think Kate's look is classy or suitable for a woman in her position, please take a moment to look at photos of Princess Victoria (mid-week) when she attended the publication of the prayer book of Princess Estelle in Stockholm. The style of her coat, including the length, is identical to many of Kate's recent outfits. And Victoria wore identical hemlines (one or two even shorter) when she was pregnant.

Naturally, everyone has different taste and we don't all have to love every outfit Kate wears, but I can't help but feel that much of the *overt* criticism of her has a lot more to do with envy than hats and hemlines.

I made a comment about maternity clothes to a non-sewing friend. She challenged me to help her put together a work and casual wardrobe. She bought maternity skirts and slacks off the rack but we did have fun making tops and dresses using available maternity patterns. It was a puzzle to figure out how to make seams, bust darts, waist darts and other tucks to fit the garment in such a way so they could be let out as she grew with baby. We enjoyed picking fabrics and finding the good fit. Later, a few other friends wanted the same assistance with their wardrobes. so we worked together, sometimes making new pieces, sometimes fitting off the rack for those that preferred it and could find a piece suitable for alteration (many pieces were not). It's too bad that the duchess doesn't have someone who could do that for her. I'd offer to help but the commute across the Big Pond is a bit much. My point is that the colors one wears are a great mood lifter, the fabrics are sometimes difficult to pick, but a well-fitted garment gives confidence. If the duchess is confident in the clothes she's wearing, they may not be to our liking but they are to her liking. Charles' wife looked nice today too. I've been watching her wardrobe change over time and it has become more flattering to her.

I do feel for Kate, lots of women struggle to find a "pregnancy style" and it must be doubly difficult trying to do it with the eyes of the world on you and everyone picking over each outfit with a critical eye. I think by and largely she had done well and her outfits have looked great most of the time (with the exception of that hideous tartan thing she wore up in Scotland!). It always seems to me that Kate's off-duty uniform of skinny jeans and casual tops is her 'real' style and this is why she always seems more natural and comfortable in them than the tailored outfits that make up her working wardrobe. Even though she looks lovely all glammed up, I always get the sneaking feeling that she'd rather be in her skinnies and knee high boots! Annie, UK

Good morning my thoughts and prayers oklohoma tornado and to the family of the soilder who was murdered by this terror people well the murderer who killed inocent young soldier no one can take are life the only who know is your god its been a bad weather here in canada about the love all the royal ladies cammilla looks good in her coat the queen looks good in pink and the duchess is glowing in her sunshine coat love the queen ride in the bus she do that many times.

@Elizabeth- First off this blog is not for you or any one else to bring up what is happening in the world. Yes it is sad what happened to the young solider and in Oklahoma but this is not the place to talk about it.

And if you don't like Catherine then please take your negative & nasty remarks somewhere else. We all don't have to like or agree but your comments are down right negetive & nasty. And they are not welcomed here.

Charlotte spends alot of here own time bring us this great blog regarding the doing of Catherine & William, so we need to respect her hard work. And you are not respecting her work nor Catherine's. So please take your comments elsewhere.

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